Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science Building

The Buhl Planetarium, also known as the 'People's Observatory', is a historic site in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, opened on October 24, 1939. It was the fifth major planetarium in the U.S., funded by the Buhl Foundation at a cost of $1.07 million. Designed in a 'stripped Classical style', it features an octagonal copper dome and housed a Zeiss II Planetarium projector capable of producing 9000 star images. The planetarium included a 492-seat theater, a Foucault pendulum, and a notable Miniature Railroad and Village. Although it closed to the public in 1991, it now serves as part of the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh and is recognized as a historic landmark.